Good News Friday

Georgia has passed one of the toughest laws on human trafficking in the country. A major hub for traffickers, Georgia will now require a 25-year minimum sentence for anyone convicted of using coercion to traffic someone under the age of 18. Relative to other state laws, that’s dang high. Good job, y’all. You’ve earned statewide sweet tea.

2. The Fight Against Wrongful Imprisonment Grows Stronger

This country had a collective freak out earlier this week about a chick who they believe was found wrongfully innocent of murder. Well how about the hundreds of people found wrongfully guilty all the time? They’re subjected to horrible conditions in prison, exhorbitant legal fees, ruined marriages and reputations, and even execution. And it’s a woman not dying that makes us attack the legal system?

Now the Oklahoma City University School of Law is opening a new legal clinic to work on wrongful conviction cases. And the Wisconsin Innocence Project is expanding to include a new advisory board involving area police, former prosecutors, defense attorneys and social scientists. We can’t continue to put innocent people to death. America looks a whole lot like its favorite villain Casey Anthony when that happens.

3. My Latest Writing Project Might Not Suck. Read: Might.

I mentioned a while back that I’m pursuing writing the book to a musical. I’m keeping the project close to the vest right now, as before I can begin I have to work out a lot of legal details. This past week I pitched my idea to an entertainment law organization, and it wasn’t turned down! It hasn’t been accepted either, so I don’t have representation yet, but I’m hoping I’ll know more late summer/early fall as our conversations continue.

We are off on a epic journey to Montana for the next couple of weeks, but I’ll be writing nonetheless. If my posts randomly cite an elk, or if I start campaigning against gun control and converting into an anarchist, that’s why.